Forbidden Love
by Rurokengurl
Summary: Kaoru's a princess and Kenshin's a knight. They meet when they're young. See what happens when they fall in love. But... Kaoru's already betrothed to another man! K&K A&M S&M Please R
1. Prologue

"Boy! Get over here now!" the slave trader shouted. The little red haired boy stood up and walked over to him.

"Y-yes?" he replied nervously.

"Eh…follow me. The princess of Edo needs more servants. You'll be serving her starting tomorrow so get ready." He explained gruffly. The little boy nodded. His name was Himura Kenshin. How did he end up with slave traders? His parents had died of cholera and slave traders and came to their village. They picked up the people left behind from the others diseased with cholera. Those with the disease were burned in a fire after having gas poured all over them.

The next morning, Kenshin woke up to find himself in a wagon. He looked around to see where he was and saw that same slave trader again. He remembered where he was going and stayed quiet for the whole trip. It was a very bumpy ride and Kenshin occasionally bumped into one side. He realized he was starving and hungry. Ever since the slave traders had picked him up, he'd only eaten a slice of bread and about two onigiri. He realized how incredibly dry his mouth was and how thirsty he was. He law down on the hard wooden bottom of the wagon and fell asleep.

"Hey! Wake up you lil' runt! You have some nerve sleeping after I went through all the trouble to get you here!" The slave trader named Momoshiro kicked Kenshin hard on his side. Kenshin grunted and groaned from the pain coming from his hip. He sat up and drowsily rubbed his eyes.

"Lil' bastard," Momoshiro muttered under his breath. "Get up!" he yelled as he started beating Kenshin. Kenshin got up painfully, wincing with every move he made. He followed Momoshiro who was now walking into the castle. He was talking to the huge guard at the castle gates.

"State your business!" he ordered.

"I am a slave trader and was asked to bring one more servant for your majesty's daughter. He is it. I thought it'd be better to have one of the same age." He said smiling a fake smile and bowing. The big guard thought for a while and then, opened the gates. "Approved," he said.

Momoshiro bowed in gratitude and went into the castle walls. Kenshin followed closely, scared of his surroundings which had guards patrolling every hallway they passed through. Finally, they made it to the throne room.

"Ah. Thank you, Momoshiro. I'm sorry for asking you for such a big thing so out of the blue." The king apologized.

"Think nothing of it, your majesty." Momoshiro replied. He put on his fake smile again and accepted the money back the king had in his hand. Momoshiro left the room and probably out of the castle. Kenshin stood there in front of the king, trembling.

"Well, aren't you a little young?" he questioned. "How old are you, son?" Kenshin didn't answer. He was scared, hungry, and sore all over.

"Poor little boy. Escort him to a room of his own and give him a bath. Change his clothes as well." The king ordered his guards standing next to him.

"Hai, Kamiya-sama." They answered almost immediately. One of them carried Kenshin and the other led the way. Kenshin was escorted to a big, nicely furnished room with a humongous, soft bed and a closet full of clothes. Two old women maids came in and took over. The guards left and Kenshin was taken to the bathroom for a bath.

"What a cute little boy!" one of the maids shrieked. The other older one smiled and showed him the tub. They expected Kenshin to go in after taking his clothes off but he didn't move an inch.

"Oh! Do you want some privacy?" the younger maid asked, amused. Kenshin, blushing furiously red, nodded and the two maids walked out of the bathroom. Kenshin took off his clothes and stepped into the tub.

"YEOW!" he yelled as he touched the water. The water was stone cold and Kenshin was freezing his butt off in there. The two maids burst in through the door. They laughed as they saw Kenshin blush a very dark red after seeing them. They stepped forward with two sponges and some soap. They giggled as Kenshin looked down from embarrassment as they scrubbed Kenshin in his dirty spots. He took control after to clean his…bottom half and the two maids chuckled as they excused themselves from the bathroom. He heard them talking to each other and one maid stuck her head inside the bathroom.

"Your clothes are outside. We'll leave you to some privacy. Get dressed and when you come out, a guard will escort you to the king. Alright?" she said. Kenshin nodded and she left. He heard the door closing and he got up from the tub and started drying himself off with a towel. He walked out and there were the clothes on the bed, waiting for him. He wore the dark blue gi and the white hakama and slipped some dark blue tabi on. He tied his hair in the usual small ponytail, allowing his long and some short bangs to fall over his face. He stepped out the door and saw the guard standing there.

He looked at Kenshin and ordered, "Follow me, kid." He started walking through the long hallway and Kenshin had to take huge steps to keep up. Finally they reached a gigantic red oak door that had been polished to shine in the small candle lights that were there. The guards patrolling the door opened them and one of them led Kenshin in. There sat the king on his gold throne, waiting for him.

"Hello, young boy. What is your name?" he asked.

Kenshin murmured something but it was too soft for the king to hear him. All he could make up was Ken---.

"You must speak up, young one."

"Kenshin." He said a little louder.

"Very well, Kenshin. This is my daughter, Kamiya Kaoru. And I have King Kamiya of the Edo province.

He looked up to see a young girl, probably younger than him, dressed in a blue dress sitting on a smaller throne to his side.

"You look worthy of being a knight." He commented. Kenshin stayed silent as the king thought and thought.

He snapped his fingers. "Ah. I've got it. You will train with my friend, the swords master, for 8 years. Then you will come back and will be my highest ranking knight. However, that is only if you prove to be worthy enough." He said. Kenshin's eyes widened.

"Me? S-swords?" he stuttered. The king smiled and nodded slightly.

"I expect you to come back being a great fighter. Your master-to-be also is a master of martial arts."

Kenshin thought for a while. He had no choice, as he was a servant. So he accepted and the king ordered one of his guards to escort Kenshin to this master.


	2. Training and His Return!

Kenshin packed a few clothes he found and then left with the guard. They got there in around an hour. To Kenshin's surprise, it was atop a mountain. The guard walked up to the small cabin and knocked.

"Who is it?" a deep voice growled from inside. Kenshin was scared of his voice and looked down at his feet as the door opened.

"I bring you a letter from Kamiya-sama." The guard said as he handed the letter to him. The man quickly scanned the paper and grunted.

After a moment of thinking, he muttered, "Another student…Fine. I will take him as my student. But Kamiya better repay me well for this." The guard left, leaving Kenshin there at the doorstep.

"You're going to be my student eh…well, introductions first. I am Hiko Seijurou, 13th master of the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu. That is the swords technique you will be learning." He explained. Kenshin took all of that in and memorized the sword technique name.

"Um…my name is Himura Kenshin…I'm 7 years old…" Kenshin stated softly. He took Kenshin into the cabin and started giving him many lectures. For the first two months, Kenshin sat there getting lectures and learning how to cook food. Oh yea, and memorizing the path to the sake shop in town. His shishou really loved drinking.

Kenshin gathered water from the stream nearby to make some miso soup for breakfast. He walked back to the cabin carrying two buckets of water, one being for freshening up, the other for the soup. Kenshin worked and also made rice. The finishing result was amazing. The rice and soup were done perfectly and Kenshin had even cooked a fish that he'd caught earlier that day. Then, he ran into town to get three bottles of sake. When he came back, his shishou was still sleeping. Kenshin got everything ready and woke up his master.

"Eh…fine, breakfast." He growled as he sat up and started eating. His expression changed as he took a bite. "Did you buy this?" he questioned suspiciously. Kenshin shook his head. "Well, whaddya know, you can cook pretty well baka deshi!" he laughed. "Ha…and even sake. Good job today." He complimented. They finished their meal and stood up.

"I think you're ready for this." Hiko handed him a smooth, wooden bokken. "You'll start learning techniques from now on. One by one, until you master them all." Kenshin looked at his bokken and bowed.

"Arigatou." He thanked. Hiko left to freshen up and in 5 minutes, they were both ready to train.

"Okay. The first technique you will be learning is Ryu tsui sen. But first, we need to build up your speed to godspeed and we have to make your jump much higher."

'Hoo boy, this could take a while…' Kenshin thought to himself secretly.

All this training went on for the rest of the time Kenshin had to train. Finally, Kenshin was ready to return to the castle.

"Arigatou, shishou." He bowed as he left with his katana and wakizashi in his hakama. He used his godspeed to get to the castle in a few minutes time.

The guards patrolling outside were suspicious of this samurai. "Who're you?" they questioned as they glared at him.

"I need to meet with the king. If I am an assassin, you may slay me, but what would an assassin do, walking up right to the front gate?" he said grinning. The guards looked at each other and they agreed to let him in, with 5 guards showing him the way.

"A guest who needs to meet with the king." He mumbled to the red oak door guard, who opened the door to let them through.

"Who's this…ah! Kenshin!" he exclaimed. He noticed the red hair immediately and had been waiting impatiently for his return. He waved the guards off back to their posts and Kenshin kneeled on one knee.

"Hello, Kamiya-sama." Kenshin said.

The king arose from his throne and picked Kenshin up to make him stand. "I've been waiting for your return. Are you an elite fighter now?" he asked eagerly.

"Test me. And I shall show you what I have learned from shishou." He replied, glaring at some of the guards who were giving him a stink-eye.

"All right then. Get ready for a fighting test against my best knights. However, the condition is this. You will only use bokkens. I don't want any of you to die in combat, especially against each other." Kenshin bowed.

"Show him to his chambers, the one connected to my daughter's room." He ordered a guard who immediately led him to a big room.

They bumped into Kaoru who was walking towards the throne room. She looked at him and thought, 'Wow, he's cute!' The guard apologized and kept going down the hallway until they reached a door. Kenshin stepped in and saw a huge bed and other furnishings. He changed into a sleeping yukata and lay down on the bed. He fell asleep a few minutes later, tired from the morning training he'd done with his master.

The sun wasn't even up when Kenshin woke up. It was still dawn but he got up and took a quick bath. He wore a red gi and a white hakama and red tabi as he walked towards the kitchens. They were cooking some extravagant feast. Kenshin took the ingredients he needed for his own private small breakfast instead of eating with the king. He took some rice and made some miso soup quickly and easily. He ate it quickly and went back to his room.

'What to do…' he thought. There was still around 2 hours left until the others in the castle woke up. He decided to go out and train with his sword and in the martial arts. As soon as he was out of the castle, he did 500 laps around the castle's perimeter using only godspeed. When he was done, he panted and gasped from weariness. He took a quick drink of water and unsheathed his sword.

"Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu…Ryu Tsui Sen!" he yelled as he jumped high into the air and slammed down on a big rock with great force. The rock stayed normal for a second and then, it split into two. Kenshin readied himself for another attack.

"Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu! So Ryu Sen!" he shouted as he was able to make multiple blows quickly to the rock. The rock shattered into hundreds of pieces, leaving Kenshin to look for more rocks to practice on. The training went on, Kenshin training all his techniques that he knew. His voice echoed through the forest as he shouted all his attacks before carrying them out. He continued until he practiced all his moves through at least 30 times each. He decided it was time to return to the castle and walked back slowly. When he got back, he went straight to his room without saying anything to anyone.

'Hmm…' he thought as he was taking another quick bath. "Oh well." He muttered to the silence. He dried himself off and wore a fresh new black gi that he found and a gray hakama. He walked out past a guard who was glaring at him. Kenshin gave him a VERY scary glare which freaked the soldier out. He ran away leaving Kenshin to grin and laugh inside. He reported to the throne room where the king and his daughter were eating their breakfast.

"Ah, Kenshin! It's breakfast time! You should join us! My personal chef is a great cook." He said. Kenshin shook his head and remarked that he'd already eaten breakfast.

"Oh?" he asked questioningly. "Where did you get the breakfast from? Sanji usually doesn't get up before 7:00 in the morning."

"I cooked my own breakfast. During my training, I was in charge of the meals and the cooking. So I trained myself to cook various dishes. I do well with miso soup and rice for breakfast. I don't really like dishes that are very fancy." He explained.

"And where were you this whole time from when you woke up?" Kamiya-sama asked curiously.

Kenshin had seen this question coming. "I was training by myself in the woods on rocks." He answered.

"Speaking of your training, after breakfast, we'll give you the test. You may go to your room to prepare by wearing some armor. You might be getting hurt. I'll send a guard when we are prepared." Kamiya-sama said. Kenshin shook his head and said that he'd rather wait in the gardens. The king agreed as Kenshin bowed and left the room.

"Oh? You're rather quiet Kaoru. Have you grown a soft spot for Kenshin?" he teased. Kaoru blushed furiously.

"N-no!" she stammered. The king laughed joyfully as Kaoru hmphed and she excused herself from the table, leaving her father to finish his meal alone. He chuckled before rising from the table. The maids and servants around him started cleaning up after him and he walked to the dojo they had in the castle's training center for guards and soldiers to spar with bokkens. He told all of his knights to come and even his greatest top knights. He sent a guard to alert Kenshin to come and just as soon as the guard left, Kenshin was there without breaking a sweat before the guard came back.


	3. The Test and an Assassin!

"Your test will be to fight my men, one by one with bokkens only." Kamiya-sama explained. Kenshin put down his katana on a cushion near the training weapons and picked up a bokken. "Your first fight will be with my knight, Isurugi Raijuta." The big bulky man rose and glared at Kenshin. He grunted and stood in position with his bokken. Kenshin stayed in the mugyo pose as he always did. Raijuta lashed forward quickly but Kenshin dodged easily and did a Ryu Tsui Sen on him.

"Urgh!" Raijuta groaned as he made a big hole on the dojo floor from his fall. Kenshin glared and remained in his mugyo position.

"Excellent, Kenshin!" the king congratulated. The other knights looked with awe at Kenshin's great swordsmanship. Except for some of the top knights. "Next!" he called. Another buff man named Senkaku stepped up with two wooden knuckle blades.

"Grearrr!" he roared as he ran towards Kenshin, giving multiple blows along the way. Kenshin shielded himself and blocked all the attacks with his bokken. When he saw an opening, which was very shortly after the match started, he attacked with a Ryu Sho Sen.

"Augh!" he yelled as he fell, making the hole deeper. The king watched in awe as Kenshin, one by one, defeated most of his knights.

"You are…very skilled at the sword. But now, it is time for you to fight my top knights!" he exclaimed.

A man in a big white coat with ice cold eyes stepped up with two bokkens. Each of them shorter than a katana but longer than a wakizashi. It was a kodachi. His name was Aoshi and he, Kenshin could tell, was very skilled. They looked to be about the same age, except for the height difference. Kenshin got ready for an attack in the battojutsu stance. Aoshi also had speed however, he was slower than Kenshin. Kenshin quickly drew, shouting along, "Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu! Amakakeru Ryu no Hirameki!" Aoshi flew in mid-air with a big gash on his chest. It didn't bleed but it did look very painful.

"I'll beat you!" a voice shouted. Kenshin turned to see a boy not much younger than him stand up. He was wearing a white street jacket with the kanji character, evil, on his back. He had a red bandana around his head and Kenshin could tell that he fought with his fists and by the calluses on his hands, a spear as well. But this boy didn't pick up a spear. He got into a usual fighting stance.

"My names Sanosuke!" he shouted. Kenshin decided to end it quickly and when Sano moved a little to start attacking, Kenshin used his godspeed to reach him before he took a step and took him down with a normal slash of the sword. It wasn't any technique, just a standard slash that everyone or anyone could do. Sano fell and grunted but got up again.

"That's the best you could do?" he asked as he wiped his sweat away from his face. He ran towards Kenshin with a punch, aiming towards his face. Kenshin dodged and slashed him again. Sano fell again but also got up again. His eyes looked contorted with fury as he ran towards Kenshin again with another punch.

"Futae no Kiwami!" he shouted. Kenshin's expression changed from nonchalant-ness to a surprised smile. He used another Ryu Tsui Sen on him but again, Sano got back up.

"All right. Now I'm getting serious." Kenshin said just loud enough for Sano and the king to hear. His eyes went from its normal color, a soft shade of lavender, to a burning amber gaze. Kenshin released his godspeed and attacked with a Kuzu Ryu Sen. Sano lay on the dojo floor, unconscious. The king looked at Kenshin and sent the leader of his top knights.

His name was Hajime Saitou. Kenshin glanced at his opponent, Saitou and saw an image of a wolf baring its fangs. He readied himself for a tough match. Saitou had a smile and was squinting, probably to hide his real tough side. Kenshin decided to start the match this time so he used his godspeed and did a Kuzu Ryu Sen. Saitou used his speed to dodge but still got cut a little. He clenched his teeth and ran towards Kenshin, with his style called the Gatotsu.

"Gatotsu! Zero Stance!" Saitou yelled. Kenshin was taken by surprise but he blocked it easily.

Kenshin countered easily and then, sheathed his sword. Saitou charged at him again but Kenshin was ready. "Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu! Ama Kakeru Ryu no Hirameki!" he shouted as he unsheathed his sword with godspeed and a big gash appeared on Saitou's chest just like Aoshi.

"Argh!" Saitou groaned as he fell to the ground.

Kenshin fell on one knee as he panted. Sweat was dripping down his face and he was very tired.

"What's wrong?" the king asked out of curiosity.

"The ougi is not supposed to be used more than once. It puts too much strain on the body. However, the way I have trained has allowed me to use it more than once, as long as I do not overdo it. All these battles have worn me down, and I used the ougi for more than half the battles I've fought today. Plus, I used the other Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu attacks which wear me down also. I train everyday to raise my stamina, strength, and things like that. But I am still human. I have limits like everyone else does." Kenshin explained.

"All right then. You are now my top knight leader and general of everything that runs in my castle. I expect you to do a good job. You will also be my daughter's personal bodyguard." Kamiya-sama said. Kenshin bowed and left the room to his room. On his way, he bumped into Kaoru.

"I'm sorry, my princess." He apologized. She looked at him.

"Who're you?" she asked curiously. Kenshin looked at her and smiled.

"I am the new top knight leader and general to everything else that runs in this castle. I am also your personal bodyguard." He remarked. "What can I call you? It seems that it irritates you when I call you Princess or Princess Kamiya." He said. Kaoru looked at him.

"How'd you know I get so irritated when they don't call me by my name?" she questioned.

Kenshin grinned. "I have my ways." He replied. She smiled back and said, "Hi, I'm Kaoru!"

"I'm…well, you need not know of my name right now. And your father will not tell you either. Just call me Battosai." He said. She looked at him with a weird look on her face.

"Why can't I know your name? I need to know it if you're gonna be my personal bodyguard." She said.

"Call me Himura then." He said. She glared at him and he muttered something.

"What?"

"Kenshin" he said.

"Okay, Kenshin!" she said happily. "Bye and see you later at lunch!" she waved.

"Bye…um…"

"Call me Kaoru!"

"But you're the princess…" he protested.

"CALL ME KAORU! THAT IS AN ORDER!" she screamed.

Kenshin looked taken aback and said timidly, "Bye, Kaoru…" She smiled as she ran down the hallway and out.

'Scary princess.' he thought as he walked into his room.

"Hi Misao!" Kaoru called to her best friend.

"Hey, Kaoru!" she said. Misao was looking at the roses in the rosebush. She was the other bodyguard of Kaoru and her best friend. Misao had used to be a ninja but her grandfather was brought down and he'd sent her here. She knew Aoshi and his 4 loyal underdogs. They were the ones who also had contact with her grandfather and were also ninjas.

"Oh my gosh! You'll never guess who I just met!" Kaoru shrieked. Misao looked at her in confusion.

"Who? Who's got you so very excited?" she asked.

"Well, I was walking to come here because I knew you were here, right?" Misao nodded. "Then, on the way, I bumped into this redhead!"

"Uh…you're falling in love with a redhead…?" she asked.

"No, his hair was like…red or a dark shade of orange. Anyway, he had these soft lavender eyes and he was so nice and polite! He's going to be my personal bodyguard!" she squealed excitedly.

Misao was speechless. "Err…show me him. I'll see if he's all right for you." She said. Kaoru nodded and led the way to her room.

"Wait…this is the way to your room! What are you doing?" she asked as she saw the familiar hallway.

"He's in the room right next to mine!" she exclaimed.

"WHAT!" Misao yelled. "But that room's connected to yours!" she shouted.

"SHH!" Kaoru tried to make Misao quiet.

"Oh…sorry." She said apologetically.

"Daddy put him there and I have no problem. I was always so lonely all by myself. Now I'll just sneak into his room and talk to him!" she said excitedly.

"Does this 'him' refer to me?" a voice said behind her, scaring Kaoru and Misao out of their pants…err…dresses. There, behind them, stood the boy Kaoru had mentioned and described to Misao.

"Greetings, Princess." He said smugly. She glared at him for calling her 'princess' and Misao softly chuckled.

"Hey Kaoru, he really is cute and hot!" she whispered. Kenshin caught the phrase and grinned.

"Someone checking me out, I see." He said. Misao blushed which made Kaoru even angrier.

"First of all, you will not insult either of us and you will not call me princess. You will call me Kaoru and her, Misao. No talking back with smug replies to us!" she ordered. Kenshin grinned and bowed.

"Yes ma'am." He replied.

Kenshin walked away from the two young girls and into his room. "See you later," was his last remark.

Kaoru led Misao into her room and they talked excitedly about this new bodyguard's attitude and looks. They gossiped and squealed as Kenshin sat in a dark corner of her room. They didn't notice him until they heard a swish. It was Kenshin using his godspeed. Kaoru saw blur of red pass through her room and then, heard the door open and close. Misao took a kunai out of her secret pocket in her ninja outfit and stay in position.

"You still need to be trained more, ninja lady." A voice said behind her back, holding her hand from throwing any kunai and from turning by holding her waist.

"Y-you…RED HEAD!" Misao screamed out of anger from him touching her. Kenshin quickly spun out of the way before Misao could kick his family jewels. He grinned and stood there. Misao stood in a fighting stance. Kenshin's glare hardened.

"With that stance…do you mean to challenge me?" he asked as his long bangs covered his eyes. Misao smugly grinned.

"What, you scared now? Let's fight! I'll show you to respect me!" she yelled. Kenshin glared at her with his amber eyes. Misao gasped as she saw his eyes. It was as if she was paralyzed and couldn't move a muscle. Kaoru gasped in fear of her friend's death when she stared at those eyes.

"Do NOT tempt me into killing you, for I am short-tempered and I will not hesitate to kill you." He said. Misao looked very scared and she cowered in fear. Kenshin's eyes turned back to their soft lavender as he sighed.

"I'm sorry. I…lose my temper very easily. So please, don't tempt me. Once I get angry or tempted, I lose it and get this freaky urge to kill and taste blood on my blade." Kenshin explained.

"Why?" Kaoru asked softly.

"I…ever since I learned this sword style…I…changed. I…don't know why…" Kenshin said.

"Then you're a freak!" Misao shouted. "You shouldn't be Kaoru's bodyguard! You'll end up killing her!"

"I did not ask for the position of personal bodyguard. So do not blame me. It is Kamiya-sama who has given me that and other jobs as well."

"I think you'll do well as my bodyguard." Kaoru said. She smiled at Kenshin who looked surprised.

"You…don't think I'm crazy?" Kenshin asked.

"No."

"Kaoru! What if he ends up killing you?" Misao argued.

"I trust him. I'm sure he won't kill me." Kaoru answered.

Kenshin bowed. "Thank you, Kaoru." He stood back upright and apologized to Misao for his actions. "I'm sorry for the troubled caused. I'm sure I'll be able to keep myself back from getting that killing urge. It must've been because I was an assassin before, for the war."

"You were an assassin in a war!" Misao freaked out.

"Well, yes. It was a big mistake in my life. My shishou told me not to go but I did because I wanted to help those innocent people in their villages and me and my shishou had the power. But my shishou disagreed so I left him for a while and fought. Then I came back and learned the ougi and was able to control myself better. But, I'm still missing something…shishou said that I needed someone I loved, cherished, for then, I will have the will to live. I don't care if I die soon because my hands are stained with blood and no woman would ever love an assassin." Kenshin looked sad with this last remark. "I don't have the will to live and that is the key to ultimate strength which I did not reach yet. It is because there is nothing to live for in my life." Kenshin looked out the window and saw the familiar mountain of where his shishou lived. "Well, I'll be going now. I'm sorry I intruded on your privacy earlier." He bowed and walked toward the door.

Misao sat down on a chair and thought about Kenshin's past. Kaoru didn't want Kenshin to leave. She…liked him. She understood everything about his past and didn't want him to ever die. He needed the will to live and she'll give him that.

"I'll be back later, Misao. You can go and talk to Aoshi or something." Kaoru told her friend. Misao looked up from where she was sitting.

"Stop teasing me about that!" she pouted. Kaoru laughed and went outside. Misao followed and said she was gonna get a bite to eat. Kaoru went back into her room and opened the door that connected her room with Kenshin's. She went through and saw Kenshin sitting on his bed, probably thinking. His long bangs were over his eyes and he looked depressed.

"K-Kenshin?" Kaoru called to make her presence known to him. He looked up and was surprised at who he saw. He usually knew if someone was in the room but she…knew how to block her ki? He shook his head from that thought and rose.

"Hello Kaoru…dono. What brings you here?" he asked.

"Just call me Kaoru! And I just wanted to talk to you!" she said brightly. Kenshin chuckled. He'd never seen someone like this always so eager to talk to him. He'd always been the one ignored or left out alone.

"All right. What would you like to talk about?" he questioned. Kaoru didn't know. So she just asked simply, "How old are you?"

Kenshin chuckled at that question and said that he was 15.

"You fought in the war when you were only 15!" she exclaimed.

"Well, that time, I was younger and that was all the strength I needed to kill the soldiers of the Shinsengumi. They were very weak ones except for the unit captains." Kenshin explained.

"D-do you like someone already?" she asked.

This question took Kenshin by surprise. "Well, I haven't thought about any girls right now because I know they won't be interested in me."

"That's not true!" Kaoru exclaimed angrily out of the blue. It took Kenshin aback and he blinked quite a few times. Kaoru blushed and walked out of his room.

'Why would she be mad because I said that? Does it mean that…' Kenshin's eyes widened. '…she likes me!'

Kenshin walked out of his room to look for Kaoru. She was long gone but he knew he'd catch her if he used his godspeed. So he ran in the castle halls, desperately trying to find Kaoru. But she wasn't anywhere. So he walked into her room quietly but she wasn't there either. He went outside and finally, found her in the gardens.

He walked behind her and used his speed to sneak up on her easily. She looked as if she'd been…crying?

"Kaoru…what's wrong?" he asked. She was surprised that he was there and jumped a mile.

"K-Kenshin!" she ran away again only to be caught by Kenshin and tugged into a deep embrace.

"About that last question you asked me…I lied. I do have one young lady in mind." He said into her hair. She relaxed in his embrace and turned to face him.

"Who?" she asked curiously.

"A special someone." He remarked as he disappeared.

"KENSHIN!" Kaoru yelled. Kenshin laughed from behind a rosebush that had a thorn poking his face. Kaoru bopped him on the head.

"You meanie!" she pouted. Kenshin stood up rubbing his aching head. He chuckled and looked at her.

"How old are you anyway?" he asked curiously. Seeing her, she looked not too much younger than him.

"I'm 15. Only one year younger than you!"

"Well…this year June, I'll be 17."

"Really…this year June, I'll be 16."

They looked at each other curiously. They both thought at the same time, 'His/her birthday's in June?'

"Well, I've gotta go." Kenshin said. Kaoru had a sad look upon her face but it brightened quickly.

"Where are you going? I'll go with you!" she exclaimed. Kenshin looked at her.

"I'm not sure you want to come with me and I'm also not sure if you should accompany me." Kenshin said.

"Oh c'mon! I wanna go! I wanna see!" Kaoru whined. Kenshin winced at the high pitched voice she was using purposely to annoy him.

"Fine. All right then. Follow me…Waiiit. Are you allowed out of the palace walls?" he asked.

"Yes. When I'm with my bodyguard. And that's you!" she giggled as she pushed him out of the palace door.

"Ah, I forgot about that. Well, let's be on our way then." The guards guarding the door let them through after checking who Kenshin was. Kenshin showed them his badge that proved that he was the general of all things run in the castle and another badge showing that she was Kaoru's personal bodyguard. He even showed the badge that told of his leadership of the top knights. They looked surprised and let him through. Kenshin led Kaoru into the forest where he always trained. The big rocks were still there next to the waterfall. More kept coming whenever he came back.

"You should sit somewhere. I have to do this alone. There is no way that you can do it too." He said as he brought up a rock for her to sit on after covering it with his gi. Kaoru blushed red as Kenshin took off his gi. He was well toned with many muscles and looked to be a strong fighter. Kenshin brought many big rocks up with brute strength. He unsheathed his sword slowly and put his sheath on the side next to Kaoru.

"Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu…Ryu Tsui Sen!" he yelled as he jumped up for a dragon hammer strike. The attack hit dead center and just as Kenshin touched the ground, he used another attack; Ryu Sho Sen. Kaoru looked amazed as Kenshin trained even more with even his martial arts in the complicated style of fighting. When Kenshin finished, his body was covered in sweat and he was breathing hard.

"I'm already getting rusty only training on rocks. With my master, he is more than a boulder. He really is a dragon teaching me roughly, using a real sword to fight me. If I get a cut, I am expected to treat it myself." Kenshin remarked. "Well, we should go. I think you are bored already."

"That was amazing, Kenshin!" she squealed. "You're a great fighter!" Kenshin thanked her and Kaoru stood up to go. He took his gi and put it over his left shoulder with his sword over his right. Kaoru was truly amazed at how Kenshin was so great at fighting. His appearance on the outside made him look puny and girly but he really was one not to be messed with. When they reached the hallway that led to their rooms, Kenshin walked towards his room as Kaoru walked towards where Misao's room was. They went their separate ways there.

"Oh My God Misao! He is so strong and cool!" Kaoru squealed when she reached Misao's room. She looked dumbfounded and stopped sharpening her kunais.

"Okay, first, who are you talking about, and second, how the heck did you get your beautiful kimono so dirty?" she asked.

"Well, when I told you I was going somewhere, it was Kenshin's room, to talk to him and get to know him. But something happened and I ran to the gardens and he came too and then, he said he had to go. But I didn't want him to so I followed him and it happened that he was going to train near the waterfall. He used all his attacks on these big boulders and even carried them so easily. He's sooo strong! Plus, he didn't have his gi on because it was covering the rock I was sitting on and he is so good at fighting!" she blabbered on and on about how cool Kenshin was as Misao listened to every word she said.

"Yep. You're in love with him." Misao confirmed in the middle of Kaoru's prepared speech.

"W-what are you talking about, Misao? Hehe…" she stuttered. Misao giggled and said it again.

"YOU ARE IN LOVE WITH HIM. HIM BEING HIMURA KENSHIN, YOUR NEW PERSONAL BODYGUARD." Misao said loudly in her ear. She blushed and sat down on a chair.

"Yeah…I think I am in love with him. He's so cool, calm, collected and has so many more good traits! He's better than any prince that I've ever been suited with." She sighed. "I want to marry him." She said sturdily.

"W-WHAT!"

"You heard me, Misao."

"But he's a lowly knight! You're a princess! The law says that you have to be married to a PRINCE, emphasize on PRINCE, by your 16th birthday!" she exclaimed.

"Silly, I'll be able to keep dad off of that matter. He's scared of me, remember? And I'm his darling daughter so of course he won't want to lose me. If he forces me to marry, I will run away and I am not scared of the outside life. Especially if it's with Kenshin." Kaoru said.

"You are crazy, Kaoru!"

"I know. But I can't help it. Kenshin is just…right for me, I know it." She claimed.

"Oh boy…" Misao groaned.

'Hmm… maybe it is time for you to settle down with a girl. That Kaoru is all right.' Kenshin thought. He shook his head of that thought. Only a prince could ever marry a princess and he was only a knight. And she probably didn't even like him anyway. Although he liked her a lot. She was much better than those snotty brats always coming after him. But he was a knight and she was a princess and that was reality. He put his dirty gi in a laundry basket and decided to take a bath. When he finished, he wore a black gi with a gray hakama and black tabi. He walked out to make his own lunch but Kaoru stopped him to talk to him.

"Where are you going now?" she asked.

"To make my own lunch." He replied.

"Why don't you eat lunch with us?" she asked.

"Well, I don't feel comfortable. I'm not part of the family and I am certainly not royal." He replied.

"Well, now you are considered to be part of the family!" she exclaimed as she grabbed one arm and started dragging him towards the dining room.

"Err…I really do not want to go in there…" he said slowly.

"PLEASE? FOR ME?" she asked loudly. Many turned to watch them. Kenshin blushed a bright red.

"Err…fine…fine then. I'll eat with you and your father. But only for today." He said.

"NO! EVERYDAY!" she screamed. It made guards glare at him and maids giggle. Kenshin blushed a dark shade of red.

"F-fine then! Just please, stop yelling!" he pleaded.

"Okay! You have to promise to eat everyday with my family, breakfast, lunch, and dinner! Okay?"

"Fine. It's a promise." Kenshin replied. Kaoru ordered him to do a pinkie promise with her. He did and they finally left for the dining room. When they got there, Kaoru's father was chatting with another royal. Kaoru sat down and Kenshin looked away. He quickly went into the darkest corner and just like when he was an assassin, he blended with the shadows. Kaoru looked around for him when he wasn't there so she could tell him where to sit. She looked angry as she felt that a promise meant nothing to Kenshin. She took a piece of bread and nibbled on it. The royal one looked worried as he discussed matters with Kamiya-sama. Then, all of a sudden, there was an attack on the royal. Kenshin, of course, had sensed this to happen and was there to block the attack.


	4. Kenshin's Past

He jumped high up and saw it was Iidzuka, the inspector he used to work with when he was an assassin. Iidzuka was the inspector, to see if the ones the assassins killed were really dead. Kenshin stabbed at Iidzuka and blood spilled. Kenshin landed back on the ground softly and lay him down.

"You traitor bastard. You dare show your face to me again?" he hissed.

"K-Kenshin! Let me live! I-I had to do this for Katsura-sama!" he whimpered.

"STOP LYING! I know that he died right after I left. I finished my task of assassinating all those jerks and I am through with that! I fought in the war and I killed all those men in the front line. THAT IS ENOUGH FOR ME! When will you Ishin Shishi stop following me around!" Kenshin yelled.

"S-sorry! It was my order from the new leader! Y-Yamata-sama!" he stuttered. He coughed up a bit of blood. That's when Kaoru intervened.

"Kenshin! Stop! Don't kill him! You aren't an assassin anymore!" she said.

"Kaoru, get out of the way. Please. He is a traitor and I have some interrogating to do. I am the general of all things run in this palace including trespassers." He pleaded.

"T-thank you young girl for saving me!" Iidzuka stood up painfully and ran out a window. Kenshin's bangs covered his eyes.

His eyes turned amber and he gripped his sword tightly. "He got away…" he mumbled. He walked out of the room leaving Kaoru scared and Kamiya-sama dumbfounded. The royal man stood up and shook dirt off of his big robe. He went back to the discussion with Kamiya-sama and Kaoru ran after Kenshin.

"Kenshin! I'm sorry!" she yelled as he walked through the hallways.

"Kaoru…please do NOT interfere when I am dealing with someone from my past. That was Iidzuka. He is a BASTARD." He looked up. "Let's talk in my room." He suggested. Kaoru nodded and followed him up the stairs and into his room. She sat on a chair while he sat on the bed.

"Here's how it goes…"

**-------FLASHBACK------**

"_Master! All those people down there need help! We should help them! We are strong enough to stop this war!" Kenshin yelled._

"_No. The wise swordsman stays put and does not get involved with these stupid senseless wars."_

"_But master! You always told me that our swords style was to help the people! Why don't we go and help them now?"_

"_Because. Just keep going on with your usual training._

"_No. I'm going down there with my sword to fight! I want to fight! I want to help all those innocent people that are getting treated unfairly because of this war!" Kenshin yelled to his master as he jumped down and out of sight, taking his katana with him. Hiko looked towards where he student went._

"_Baka deshi. You are no longer a student of mine." He muttered. And with a swish of his cloak, he was gone._

_Kenshin finally reached the house where all the men wanting to be hired were. When he arrived, the man in the front didn't believe him when he said he wanted to go to war. Instead, he gave Kenshin a little money and shooed him out the door. Kenshin came back and this time, threatened him that he would kill him if he didn't take him seriously. The man, frightened out of his wits, allowed Kenshin to go to the back._

"_Haha! Look at that lil' kid!" a big gruff man laughed. He nudged his friend in the ribs to get his attention. The man woke up and laughed at what he saw. A young boy maybe 12 was there with a katana and a wakizashi. One ugly man approached the young boy._

"_Hey young kid. If you can slice this bundle of firewood, I'll give you some money." The man offered._

"_Fine. How much?"_

"_1000 yen." _

"_Deal." At that, Kenshin stepped up the bundle which was standing there. Kenshin unsheathed his sword and with great speed, cut the bundle in three pieces. The men were astounded. They hadn't seen the boy move a bit, yet there was the bundle of firewood, in three separate pieces, lying on the ground._

"_I think you owe me 3000 yen, sir." Kenshin said. The big man gulped, gave Kenshin the money and walked away to talk to his friend. Another big and buff man came up to Kenshin._

"_Heh. If you can win me in a sparring match, take the money out of my gi pocket and keep it." The man said._

"_All right. Let's go then." Kenshin replied._

_Kenshin stood there in a battojutsu stance as the big man charged at him._

"_Uraaaahh!" _

"_Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu…Ryu Tsui Sen!" Kenshin murmured to himself. He jumped up into the air and came down with great force for a Dragon Hammer Strike. The hit landed and the man's head was severed in one clean cut. Everyone was scared now, at the boy. He must be a demon was what they all thought. Blood spilled all over the place and the boy had the money in his hand. _

"_Anyone else who wishes to challenge me will get the same fate." Kenshin said so that everyone could hear him. "Don't underestimate me. I learned a great style far greater than yours. I came to save the innocent people from the world. If you hear about me in the future, maybe by an assassin surname of the greatest killer in Japan, be honored you actually saw my work._

"_Who is he?" the man named Katsura Kogoro asked._

"_I don't know. He just came and threatened me that if I didn't let him in, he'll kill me. He said that he wanted to save the innocent people by the world." _

"_I'll take him." _

"_Boy! You with the red hair! Get over here!" he yelled._

_Kenshin looked in the direction of the man calling him and walked over. Well, it seemed like he walked over except he was there in only one step. Kenshin used his godspeed to show off to the men._

"_Eh, this here is Katsura-san and he'll be your master from now on."_

_Kenshin bowed to show respect and looked at the man. He looked like a prince of some sort. _

"_Well, I am very surprised by your skills at your young age." Katsura remarked. "You'll do well."_

_Katsura walked away after paying the man and Kenshin followed. They walked until they reached an inn. It was run by an old lady and by what Katsura was saying, it was the Ishin Shishi headquarters._

"_Anyway, you'll be an assassin. Not some grubby soldier in our army, but an assassin that kills the important people of the enemy side." _

_Kenshin was surprised. Assassin? Well, he was certainly going to kill many. Kenshin was shown his room by the old woman, the innkeeper. Kenshin walked up the stairs and set his katana and wakizashi down. As soon as he sat down, he sensed someone spying on him from behind the shoji. He used his godspeed and unsheathed his katana quickly. He aimed his sword towards the man's throat._

"_D-don't kill me. I'm an ally!" he said, frightened out of his wits._

"_Why were you watching me?"_

"_Katsura-sama sent me. He said to check up on you."_

"_Could you not have done it with opening the shoji? You did not need to hide."_

"_W-well…you do have a p-point there." He stuttered. "Well, my name's Iidzuka. I'm an inspector to see if the man you assassinate is really dead. I'm also the one who passes the black envelopes to the men who have an assignment. Of course, I get the envelope from Katsura-sama." The man named Iidzuka explained._

"_Grand." Kenshin replied as he walked past him and out the door. He walked to where the sakura tree blossoms were blooming. _

"_Well, here. I got this from Katsura-sama as soon as you got here. It's your first assignment and is a test to see how swift and smart you are." Iidzuka said, handing him the black envelope. Kenshin took it and read it quickly. In a blink of an eye, he was gone. _

_Kenshin arrived at the place indicated on the letter. He was to assassinate an important man involved in many politics. His name was Tano, and was supposed to come this way any moment._

"_Hoho! So you have a fiancé! Wonderful! You should, however, leave this war front and go straight home to her. Or else, you might leave her a widow!" the pig, Tano laughed. The young man smiled respectfully and looked around. Kenshin quickly killed Tano with his katana and threw his wakizashi at the young boy. The young boy, however, dodged. Kenshin killed him easily but received a cut on his cheek. Iidzuka had been lurking nearby and checked to see if they were both dead._

"_Good job. You finished your first assignment greatly." He said. Kenshin walked away from the scene which was bloody._

Kaoru looked at Kenshin. That was how he got one of his scars. How did he get the other to make it an X?

Kenshin looked lifeless as he glanced up to see Kaoru staring at his scar. He slowly lifted up a finger.

"This is the one I received in that first fight. I thought it to be no big deal, that it'd heal quickly. But instead, it left a scar and will never ever disappear." Kenshin murmured. Kaoru felt sorry for Kenshin.

"Go on." She whispered into the stillness of the night. It was already around 9:00 pm and she was listening to his life story which appeared that it would take a long time.

"But it is your bedtime."

"I do NOT have a bedtime. I am not a little girl anymore!" Kaoru stated angrily. Kenshin chuckled at this and continued with his story.

_During the night, he could not fall asleep well. He kept getting this strange urge to kill and his scar wouldn't stop bleeding. _

_Months later, Kenshin had been known as the battousai, and was greatly known by the enemy for the many people he'd assassinated. Later on, there was a big chance for the Ishin Shishi to win and end the whole war. They took it and Kenshin fought in the front lines to eliminate soldiers quickly. When Kenshin had enough of this stupid war, he left the Ishin Shishi but still protected his men on the streets. One day, he met the two unit leaders. One was squinty eyed and the other was always smiling. Kenshin had fought with them before and they were very skilled with their own styles with their swords. Kenshin fought with the squinty eyed one, named Hajime Saitou. Kenshin quickly brought him down, but also received some wounds in return. The other, Okita, was sort of sick so his unit attacked Kenshin, giving Okita the chance to run away. He did and some soldiers gathered around Saitou and carried him away to their headquarters. Kenshin had crossed swords often with the Shinsengumi, who were known as the wolves of Mibu. After Kenshin finished slaying the rest, he left for his master's mountain to get the last secret of Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu. He trained with his master for the remaining months and went back into town for some sake for his master. But when he got there, Saitou wanted a duel. They fought and Saitou gave him another scar, over his first one to make his scar an X._

"Well, that's it." Kenshin said. "To make a long story short, anyway."

"Would that 'squinty eyed man' be the Saitou we have in our castle today?" Kaoru questioned curiously. Kenshin nodded and she gasped. "So your rival is here! How awkward…"

"Well, it doesn't matter. I don't care. As long as he doesn't bother me, that is."

"I think it's time to turn in for the night!" Kaoru squealed. "I don't want to go to my room…"

"Y-you're not suggesting that…you sleep in my room?" he stuttered.

"Well, we are already here…"

"But your room is only a door away!" Kenshin blushed red.

"I'm tired. I don't wanna walk all the way there," Kaoru replied lazily. She stretched and lay down on his big bed. "This is as comfortable as my own bed." Kenshin sighed and sat on a chair. He put his katana down against his left shoulder.

"Isn't that uncomfortable?" Kaoru asked.

"Well, I can't sleep on the bed because you are and if your father caught us, I'd have my head cut off." Kenshin said. Kaoru giggled.

"No he wouldn't. Father isn't like that." She said with a wave of her hand.

"Well, I'll just sleep like this. You use the bed and I'll use this chair. I'm fine, don't worry about me," Kenshin assured.

"It isn't good to sleep in a chair you know." Kaoru pointed out. Kenshin grunted.

"I've always slept like this during the war. I never slept on the futon that was offered to me and kept in my room."

"That's bad for you. Why don't you sleep normally?"

"Well, I would sleep on the bed…if you weren't on it that is." Kenshin replied.

"Just sleep in the bed! It's big and I know you aren't a pervert!" she said. She thought a while about something.

"Hey…didn't you say something about Iidzuka being a traitor?" she asked.

"Sigh…nothing gets past you. Well, after I had that fight with Saitou, I found out that Iidzuka was telling the enemy our secrets and plans. However, Makoto Shishio was sent to kill him. Obviously, he gave mercy and didn't kill him. Makoto Shishio was my successor. I don't know if he's alive or not, but I heard that he had oil poured onto him and they set him on fire because of his great greed and ambitions."

"Oh. Your life is very interesting, unlike mine, which has no adventure." Kaoru said boringly.

"Well, I'm sure I'd rather want your life instead of mine. There were many times where I was hanging on the brink of life. I don't know why I didn't just let myself die then. For some reason, I just always stayed alive because of the will to live. But I don't know why I wanted to live. Maybe it was because I was so young and still wanted to do things. I don't know." Kaoru perched herself on one elbow and stared at the shady outline of Kenshin's body. She stood up and walked towards him. She touched his scar gently, seeing how it played a great role in his life. She felt him recoil at her touch.

"K-Kaoru…you really should go to s-sleep." He murmured. She hugged him.

"Sorry about how bad your past was."

"It isn't your fault.

"I know…but I made you repeat it and remember it again after all the years…"

"I've gotten over it."

"…"

"…"

They both stayed in the same position and didn't move an inch. Then, Kaoru walked over to the bed and lay down again. This time, Kenshin followed but stayed on the opposite side of the bed.

"Sleep well, Kenshin." Kaoru whispered into the silence.

"Yeah…you too Kaoru."


	5. Missions and Letters

Morning came quickly and Kenshin woke up early as usual. Kaoru was still sleeping when he was ready to go and train. When he was just about to go out the door, Kaoru sat up drowsily in the bed.

"Where are you going, Kenshin? It's still early."

"I have to keep up my daily training to keep my strength up." Kenshin adjusted his katana on his belt.

"Why don't you train after you eat breakfast with us?" Kaoru questioned.

"Well, I make my own breakfast, as you should already know." Kenshin said. "I had my breakfast which consisted of miso soup and rice."

"You should eat with us more often." Kaoru pouted. Kenshin smiled.

"I don't like to intrude." At that, Kenshin attempted to walk out the door again. Kaoru stood up.

"Wait for me! I want to come too!" Kaoru shouted. Kenshin stopped and looked back.

"I don't think so. With you there, I cannot unleash my strength and I train better when I am alone." Kaoru frowned.

"But I wanna watch! It's so cool when you look like you're flying through the air!" she cried.

Kenshin sighed. "Fine. You may come…" he muttered. "But this is the last time. Okay?"

"Aww…fine." Kaoru agreed unhappily.

Kenshin left the room with Kaoru following after him after she changed. He did his usual training with Kaoru watching the whole time. When he was done, they walked back to the castle but Kenshin sensed something…no, someone spying on them.

"Kaoru…stay here. Don't move," Kenshin ordered as he drew his katana. He jumped into the bushes and Kaoru heard Kenshin's familiar sword slashing something. She heard a cry of pain and when Kenshin came back, his katana was stained with blood.

"It was an assassin, out to kill you, the princess of Edo." Kenshin said.

"Let's hurry back to the castle, Kenshin. I'm scared…" Kaoru whimpered as she shook, seeing the blood. Kenshin put an arm around her shoulder and led the way. When they reached the entrance to the palace, Kenshin informed a guard about the dead body in the forest and its location. The guard immediately went to retrieve the body and left into the forest. Kenshin realized that Kaoru hadn't eaten breakfast yet and that it was almost lunchtime. At that moment, Kaoru's stomach growled. She blushed and Kenshin chuckled.

"Hey Kenshin!" Sano yelled.

"Err…do I know you?" Kenshin asked.

Sano's face turned red and smoke came out of his ears as he bellowed, "I'm Sagara Sanosuke! The one you fought before Fujita-san!"

Kenshin snapped his fingers after a moment of thought. "Ah! The one who kept on going and standing after my attacks until I finished it with an advanced technique!" Kaoru giggled when Sano glared at Kenshin for saying his loss out loud.

"How old are you anyway?" Sano questioned.

"16 going on to 17 in June." Kenshin answered. "I can see that you aren't much younger than me, but you are older than Kaoru."

"I'm 16 but my birthdays already passed. It was on February 20."

"I'm 15 going to 16 this June." Kaoru said out of the blue. Sano stared at her.

"How long were you there?"

"Hey!" Kaoru yelled as she bopped him on the head. Sano rubbed his head and grinned.

"Well, I'm a jokester and I like to do pranks and cause mischief. I fight with the spear and martial arts as well." He explained all the while adjusting his red bandana.

"I fight with the sword and martial arts." Kenshin muttered as he walked away. "Oh yea. What did you want to tell me, Sanosuke?"

"The king wants to see you in the throne room. And he told me that if I see Princess Kaoru, to tell her to eat lunch. Plus, just call me Sano. Sanosuke is too long of a name for friends right? What's your name, redhead?"

A vein popped out on Kenshin's forehead and on Kaoru's too.

"DON'T CALL ME REDHEAD." Kenshin bellowed. "My name's Kenshin."

"DON'T CALL ME PRINCESS." Kaoru shouted. "Just Kaoru is fine."

"Okay, okay! Jeez, don't piss in your panties!"

"Well, I'd better be going." Kenshin said. He went along his way towards the throne room with Sano tagging along after him. "Why are you following me?"

"Cuz the king told me to come when I find you." Kenshin flashed his badge to the guard and he let them through. When Kenshin reached Kamiya-sama sitting on his golden throne, he kneeled and put a fist above his heart.

"You called for me, my Lord?"

"Ah, yes. You have a mission. You are to escort my daughter to the Kingdom of the Royal Yukishiro family. You are allowed to take some guards but there might be a war so our castle needs as much guards as we can get. I encourage you to take Sano with you for he proves to be useful in many ways." Sano grinned proudly at this comment. Kenshin bowed and left when he was excused. He headed towards the kitchens to pick up a quick lunch. The chef was happy to cook for him and the meal was very delicious. Kenshin complimented Sanji and he smiled. Kenshin left the kitchen and headed towards his room to get ready for the journey. He stopped by Sano's room and told him to be ready to leave by tomorrow morning. Sano nodded and started to prepare. When Kenshin reached his room, he was surprised to find Kaoru there sitting on his bed.

"So I hear that you'll be escorting me to the Yukishiro province." She said disdainfully.

"Yes. It'll be my first mission." Kenshin replied. Then, seeing the scornful frown on her face he asked, "Do you not want me to escort you?"

"No…I don't like the Yukishiros. They are…every bad word in the world won't even come close to describe how they are. Worse, I'm betrothed to the prince, Enishi Yukishiro. He's so creepy!" Kenshin smiled on the outside, however, on the inside, he was unhappy. He really admired Kaoru but now, he just had to find out, she was already going to be married to another royal. He was just a lowly knight, after all. "Kenshin? Are you all right?" Kenshin snapped out of his daze and smiled.

"Yea…sorry, I zoned out a bit." Kaoru gave a simple smile and lay back on his bed. She wondered if Kenshin liked her in the same way she liked him. She wished he did because he'd be much better than Enishi and he was more…better and fit for her. Enishi had white hair and was almost always sneering. He did like her but his attitude just bugged her. And that wasn't even the end of it. He had a sister who was so conceited and annoying. She irritated her and was always disgusted of Kaoru's actions and Enishi, instead of arguing and defending her, just went along with a reply like 'yea'. Plus, she was so cold to Kaoru, treating her like a rag and always glaring at her with those icy eyes. She knew that Tomoe was like a whore. Whenever she caught a man's attention, she'd flirt with them and kiss them and…blech. Tomoe was older than her and Kenshin. She was 18 so she didn't care if she slept with someone, especially if it was for a good deal like money or beauty products.

"Kaoru? Aren't you going to pack in your room?" Kenshin asked, snapping Kaoru out of her thoughts.

"Hm? Oh…yea, I should…" she replied. Kaoru stood up and walked over to the door that connected hers and his room.

"See you tomorrow Kenshin." Kaoru said as she walked through the door and shut it behind her. Kenshin stood up and started packing some clothes. He took out his sword kit and started polishing the blade. He never carried around his wakizashi since the war. It was somewhere in his big humongous chest under some other items that was in his room. Kenshin made sure that he had everything he needed packed and then, walked out of his room towards the top knight headquarters, where all of the members of the top knights would hang out and chat. Kenshin hated going there. All of the swordsmen were jealous of him and how he went up in the ranks so quickly. When he arrived, many glares shot his way but he ignored them as always.

"I have an announcement to make." Kenshin decided to be brief and continued. "I have to go on a mission so Fujita-san will be your leader for the time I am gone." They all muttered and murmured to each other which really got Kenshin irritated. How men these days could be so childish and jealous… He was all ready for the mission and had some free time on his hands. He used it to patrol around the castle grounds. As he entered the garden, he saw a shadow just out the throne room's window. Kenshin was stealthy and quick and able to blend with the shadows. He leapt up and landed quietly, the wind coming to his aid. Kenshin hid in the shadows when the man turned around, seeing a flick of navy blue. He shook his head and muttered something. Kenshin drew his sword and held it to the man's neck.

"Who are you?" he said between clenched teeth. The man was sweating out of fright and started stuttering.

"I-I-I-I w-was doing n-nothing!"

"Shut up you pig. Before I just cut your throat and let you bleed painfully to death." Kenshin threatened. The man, out of sheer fright, elbowed Kenshin in the ribs, however, Kenshin dodged. But that gave enough time for the man to jump off the ledge. Kenshin followed, but the man, not knowing how to land and just jumping off out of fright, splattered on the ground. Kenshin landed easily but saw the sight which was sickening. There was blood splattered all over the place and guts hanging in some areas. Guards came and where shocked at the sight.

"Clean up this mess and bring this man to the jail cell." He ordered them. They bowed and immediately began to follow his orders, scared that he might have a temper. Kenshin sat in the torture room and took off the man's mask. Kenshin sighed as he recognized the man's face. It was Iidzuka. Kenshin searched Iidzuka's pockets of any letter or trace of whom he was working for. If he'd been telling the truth of the last encounter they had, then he was working for Yamagata-san. Why was Yamagata looking for him? Kenshin stood up and took Iidzuka's body, or what was left of it anyway, and buried it in the forest. When he came back, Sano came running, telling him that Kamiya-sama was looking for him. Kenshin walked to the throne room and kneeled before him.

"I hear that you encountered a spy just out the window."

"Yes sir."

"Who was it?" Kamiya-sama asked.

"It was Iidzuka. You should know him from the last encounter we had with him when the other royal man was here." Kenshin answered.

"Him? Again? Did you find anything on him?" Kamiya-sama questioned.

"No. All I found was a lot of money. That means he's being paid to do all these things. And from what I know of him from my past, he would work and then run to avoid getting killed." Kenshin said.

"What happened to the body?"

"He fell off from the ledge so he is dead and I buried him in the forest." Kamiya-sama was in deep thought and Kenshin stood up.

"I need to go now, sir. I have to do something very quick." Kenshin said. Kamiya-sama looked up. He dismissed Kenshin with a wave of his hand. Kenshin quickly ran towards his room. When he was with Iidzuka, he had indeed found a letter. But it was about him and not Kamiya-sama so he kept it a secret. He opened the letter in his room and read its contents. 'So that's why Yamagata is after me…' Kenshin thought. At that moment, Kaoru burst in.

"Hey Kenshin!" She looked at him reading the letter and immediately wanted to know what it said. "What does the letter say, Kenshin?" she asked sweetly. Kenshin apologized and ran out of the room. Kenshin went out of the castle and deep into the forest where no one could find him. The letter was actually a mission for Iidzuka. To bring Kenshin back somehow, alive. It mentioned him being the only sake for the war that Shishio was planning. Kenshin knew who Shishio was. He was the greedy hitokiri that came into action when Kenshin left. Shishio had a kingdom and was planning an all out surprise attack on Kamiya-sama and Yamagata-san's kingdoms to control all of Japan. Kenshin went quickly to alert Kamiya-sama and show him the letter. Kamiya-sama was sitting on his throne and when he received the letter, he scanned it quickly and asked, "Shishio?"

"He is the hitokiri that is full of greed and is very powerful. You could call him my rival." Kenshin answered. "But what is more important is that you and Yamagata-san join forces and stand against him. I can beat Shishio but I'm sure he has some special forces to stop me. Because of that, I shall need to take some of the top knights. Fujita Goro was also in the war, known as Saito Hajime, captain of the third unit of the Shinsengumi. Shinomori Aoshi was in the war but did not fight. He was a ninja of the Oniwabanshu and his forces will probably help you as well. Aoshi became the leader at the age of 15 so I assure you; he is much stronger than the typical knight. Sagara Sanosuke has much potential and is skilled in martial arts and spear fighting. I can teach him a technique and I know he will be very helpful."

"Yes, yes…" Kamiya-sama said. Then, to a messenger, he said, "Alert Yamagata-san and say I want to meet him to make an alliance against Shishio."

"Um, sir…" Kenshin interrupted, "I think I should go instead. Shishio has many men and will probably know of the typical messenger delivering a message. He has strong forces and I can handle them, I assure you. I also hope there is no traitor in your forces…"

"I will write the letter and you may deliver it." He said to Kenshin. He told a guard standing next to him to tighten security around the castle and to capture any intruders or men who try to get out of the castle gates. The guard left the room to carry out his orders. Kamiya-sama quickly but neatly wrote the letter and gave it to Kenshin. Kenshin bowed as he left with his godspeed. He sped over the worn down trail in the mountains toward Yamagata-san's palace. The road to his palace was a tiring one indeed. However, there were 5 towns between the two kingdoms to act as rest stops. Kenshin quickly reached the first town in 30 minutes. When he did reach it, he was tired and gasping for breath. He ordered some takoyaki at a restaurant and took some hardtacks along as well. He walked to the next stop and used godspeed when he reached half up the trail. It took him 30 minutes to get to that stop and Kenshin was exhausted. But, he went on, understanding the importance of the situation and thought of this as training for raising his speed and stamina. He finally made it to Yamagata-san's palace. How he was glad to see the gates. He knew the guards would doubt him and that'd take very long so he snuck in easily. When he reached the throne room where Yamagata was, he decided to scare him. He grinned as he swiftly blended into the shadows and moved easily towards him until he was right behind the throne.

"Long time no see, Yamagata-san." Kenshin whispered. When he turned back to see where the voice was from, Kenshin quickly kneeled in front of the throne. Guards surrounded him and Kenshin smirked. "Your security sucks." He stated boldly.

"Himura! Why are you here?" Yamagata questioned. He called off the guards and helped Kenshin stand up.

"I bring a letter for you from Kamiya-sama. I work for him now, so do not ask me to come back and join you." Kenshin passed the letter to Yamagata. He scanned the letter and quickly took action. He wrote all the details in another letter and anything else that was of importance. Kenshin bowed, accepted the letter and quickly left, trying to get back to the castle during the same day. Before he got to the last stop, he saw a man along the trail. When Kenshin stopped out of suspicion, he was ambushed. Four humongous men stood and they said that they were priests of Abukuma. Kenshin didn't care what they were but he heard one thing that was of importance.

"We work for Shishio-sama! His orders are to kill you, the battousai. We shall carry out that mission even if it means death!" one big man with a huge chin shouted. Kenshin drew his katana and beheaded all of them, jumping from one man to another. He kicked and dragged the bodies into the forest and hurried on towards the Kamiya province. He finally reached it and he ran up to the throne room.

"My, that was very fast!" Kamiya-sama chuckled. He took the letter that Kenshin gave to him and read it. "Perfect." He murmured. He told Kenshin to train the men for war and to stay alert of any assassins or traitors. Kenshin bowed to show respect and left the room. On his way to his room, Kaoru bumped into him, running from Misao, who was threatening her in a friendly way. She squealed and hid behind Kenshin who muttered, "Oro?" Kaoru stood up straight with a bemused look on her face.

"What? Did you just say 'oro'?" she asked curiously. "What's an oro anyway?" Kenshin smiled and continued on his way to his room. Kaoru stopped him and told Misao to meet her in her room.

"Kenshin, is there going to be a war? I heard that father wrote a letter to the Yamagata province saying we want to be allies for the upcoming war." Kenshin looked away. "Kenshin, please tell me. I want to know what's going on so that I'm prepared." Kenshin clenched his fist and teeth. He made a move to put his hand on hers but stopped as his finger just hovered there. His hand recoiled and he went on his way to his room. Kaoru hugged him this time, which completely took him off guard. She buried her face into his gi and sighed.


	6. Training

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin. But I wish I did…..

I am, however, the Rurouni Kenshin Freak of the 8o8 state.

FORBIDDEN LOVE CHAPTER 6

"HYAH!" Shouts were heard from the training grounds as the footmen were sparring with each other with sticks. Kenshin was watching them while also giving out tips to some who kept making mistakes. The men were growing tired and some fainted.

"Give them a water break, Sano." Kenshin said.

"'Kay." He said. Then, he bellowed, "WATER BREAK YOU BUFFOONS!"

"Our progress is very slow Kenshin. At this rate, Shishio will attack us and kill us with one strike." Kenshin sat down in a chair and thought. He remembered about what he told Kamiya-sama.

'_I'll teach Sano a technique I know."_

Kenshin got up. "Sano, come with me. Aoshi, after they're done with their break, make them train again. You're in charge for now until I come back." Aoshi nodded and stepped out of the tent. Kenshin led Sano to a secluded area of the forest where he used to train. "Sano. Today, I'll be teaching you a useful martial arts technique. I learned about it from my master's books. Pay attention." Kenshin picked up a small stone and shattered it easily with his fist. Sano was surprised.

"You know martial arts!" he exclaimed.

"I must be prepared if I am not armed with a sword, no?" he grinned and gave Sano the stone. "I take it that you can already break rocks?" Sano nodded and punched the stone, breaking it into two. "However," he continued, handing him another stone and picking one up for himself, "This technique is not breaking stones in two but _shattering_ them." Kenshin did another demonstration for him. "Here's how it works. The movements must be made within a setsuna. Try it."

See Volume 9 of Rurouni Kenshin. If not, just think of it as REALLY REALLY fast. Not even a second.

Sano raised his fist and tried it. The rock just broke in two. "Aww! Why didn't it shatter?"

"Because you were too slow. I'll give you a week to master it. Make sure you master it with both hands and feet. I expect you to be done within that week. If not, I'll have to give you a punishment. As you said, we don't have time to spare. Meaning you don't either."

"All right…sir…"

"Kenshin will do, Sano."

"Okay then, Kenshin!" Sano started to practice with many other stones. As he practiced, he mumbled, "No time, no time, shatter, please…" Kenshin smiled and headed back towards the palace to train the soldiers who were very inexperienced. On the way, he bumped into Kaoru.

"Hey Kenshin!" she greeted, looking up from her lessons. She was learning flower arranging and hated every second of it.

Kenshin bowed. "Hello, princess."

"Mou! Don't call me princess! You know I hate it, Kenshin!" Kenshin smiled at her reaction.

"Indeed, I do. Yet, I must. We are of different class, you being a princess, and I, a knight." Kaoru frowned.

"So what? We're friends! Friends don't call each other by their status right? That'd be so weird! Wait….I know! Kenshin, I ORDER you to not call me princess!"

"Well, that wouldn't really work. That's defying a law. If I'm heard calling you by your name, I'll be beheaded for sure." He responded, laughing in his head at Kaoru's exasperated expression. "But I guess, just this once, I could call you Kaoru…."

"You're so annoying!" she laughed. Suddenly, an arrow was caught in Kenshin's hand. His eyes flickered amber but stayed lavender.

"Assassin. Get down, Kaoru. You too." He directed to the teacher who was getting annoyed because of the interrupted lesson. He blended into the shadows and heightened his senses. He heard a tree's branches creaking because of unexpected weight. He quickly went to work and killed the man. He was a skilled archer to have gotten so close from such a far distance. He searched the man's pockets to find a letter. "From Shishio…" he read. He went towards Kaoru and told her to stand up again. "Continue your lessons."

"Kenshin…are you okay? I mean…you caught that arrow and your hand is bleeding…."

"It's nothing, Kaoru." He replied, grinning. "I'll be okay." With that, he rushed off to the king. As he approached, Kamiya-sama looked up from his lunch, looking worried.

"Has another assassin arrived?" he asked.

"Yes. This time, he held a letter. As if he knew he would fail." With that, Kenshin passed the letter to him. When he quickly scanned the contents, his face fell.

"It says…the war will take place in….a month from now."

"Then I shall train the men harder until then. You should alert Yamagata-san with a skilled messenger. There could be assassins on the side. I recommend Aoshi or Saitou." Kamiya-sama nodded and dismissed him. Kenshin quickly arrived at the training grounds and took over for the rest of the day.

'They have a long way to go yet we have so little time.' Kenshin sighed as he lay down on the stone bench in the gardens. Then, he heard a rustle coming from the bushes. He heightened his senses and quickly got up. "Who's there?" he commanded sharply.

Just then, Kaoru popped out of the bushes. "Hi Kenshin! Why are you lying down on the bench instead of your bed?" she chirped.

faint "Kaoru! Um….Princess! What are you doing out here? And…don't do that ever again! I could've killed you! How would I know if it were you and not an assassin?" he exclaimed angrily. Then, he noticed the look on her face.

"Sorry…" she mumbled quietly, fiddling with her dress.

Kenshin sighed. "Sorry…I didn't mean to get angry. I just….don't want you to get hurt in any way. Especially by me. It would…hurt…" he trailed off.

"What?" Kaoru asked, not hearing the last part. "What did you say?"

"Nothing. Anyway, what are you doing here, princess?" he asked.

"No particular reason. I just wanted to see you!" she said happily. "You must be so tired to always be training those soldiers!"

"It is my duty to protect this kingdom." He replied. In his head, he thought, 'It is my most important duty to protect you.'

"Oh. But still! Overworking and stressing yourself isn't good! See!" she plucked a hair from his head.

"Ow!"

"Look at this hair! It's white from all that stress! That's a bad sign!"

He chuckled. "Well…" he couldn't really argue with that. "Well…..hmm….I know….but, I must train them. The war will be in a mon—" he stopped, and put his hand over his mouth quickly. He didn't want Kaoru to know about the war.

"What?" she asked, her ears perking up. "The war's going to be in a…month!"

"N…well…" Kenshin sighed. He could do nothing but tell the truth now. "Yes, we received a letter saying that the war will be in a month from today."

"Doesn't that mean you'll also be going into battle too?" she asked.

Kenshin looked away and didn't answer. He started walking toward the palace, ready for some rest. And he didn't want to talk to Kaoru about any fighting.

Kaoru turned him around angrily. "Tell me right now! I order you! I want to know, Kenshin!" She held his gi and he looked away. "Kenshin! Quit being so stubborn! Tell me now!" she demanded, shaking him.

"Yeah…I'll be going off to war with the soldiers. They need their leader to guide them and order them. They need to know what formations to use during ba—"

"I don't care! If you go…what if you die! You could get shot by an arrow! Get a deep sword wound! Get stabbed and slashed! Don't go!" she yelled into his gi.

Kenshin took her hands that were gripping onto his gi and made her fingers release him. He started walking again. Then he turned around again. "I'll be fine. Don't worry about me and just take care of yourself. Besides, I still have a month of living in this palace." He smiled. "Stay safe, my princess."

Kenshin disappeared into the darkness.


	7. Disguise!

**Forbidden Love Chapter 7**

Three weeks passed quickly and Kaoru was barely able to see Kenshin. She was scared that Kenshin would die in battle. She looked up to see Misao there, watching her.

"Kaoru, are you all right?" Misao asked.

"Well…Kenshin is going off to war…soon. In…one week." She replied sadly.

"Um…about the war. I'll also be going off to war. I was trained in ninjutsu when I was younger. By Aoshi too. He's one of the top knights."

"What! You'll be leaving too? But why?"

"They need as much help as they can get. And the footmen aren't really prepared. They are still pretty weak and would need much more time to be able to defeat Shishio's warriors. They are pretty strong from what I hear."

Kaoru wondered for a moment and an idea popped into her head. "Misao." She started. "Help me look like a boy."

"What!" Misao exclaimed. "Kaoru! Don't go crazy on me now!"

"I'm not going crazy." Kaoru snapped. "Just help me get into the army so I can stay closer to Kenshin and make sure he doesn't…die." She ended sadly. "Please, Misao. I beg you." I don't want him to die. I want to see him come back in one piece."

"Misao looked around. "But…" she looked at Kaoru's expression and couldn't help but think in her head that it would work and that her explanation was pretty good… "Fine. I will help you but don't blame me if you get caught."

"Thanks Misao! You're the best!"

"Yeah whatever. Hurry up. The last day for new recruits is today." She interrupted.

Kaoru nodded and sat in the chair that Misao pointed to. "I'm gonna cut your hair. So don't get mad at me when…all your lovely hair gets…snipped off."

"Can't I just wear a wig?" she asked sadly, rubbing her precious locks that took her whole life to grow to that length.

"Fine." But you have to be extra careful that no one finds out, got that?" Misao ordered strictly.

"Yeah. Just get on with it."

Misao quickly left the palace and went to the marketplace. "I want a black short hair wig." She said to the shopkeeper. He gave her one and she paid him 100 yen. She rushed back to the palace and gave it to Kaoru, teaching her how to put it on so it didn't have any lumps. Then, she brought some clothes for her. Male clothes that were fit for a warrior. They were a bit too big but it didn't look that bad. Finally, five hours, they were done.

"There! Now, go outside and quickly get recruited! The recruiting men are just outside the palace. I'll help you sneak out…I know a way….and you have to act like a guy and say you would like to help protect your king and join okay?"

Kaoru nodded her head. "Got it. Let's get going already! I don't wanna get….um….I wanna get recruited!" she exclaimed, rushing to her feet. Misao nodded and handed her a sword she'd stolen from the weapon seller.

They were outside in a flash and Kaoru went to line up in the back. She adjusted her sword on her belt and made sure her wig was on straight. She stepped up when it was her turn. "I'd like to sign up for the army and help protect our king." She said, reciting word for word what Misao had told her.

"Fine. But you do look very tiny for a warrior. Maybe you'll do good though. Sign your allegiance in this book. Then, go in and take a left to the training grounds." The man grunted. Kaoru quickly thought up of a name for herself. She signed the book as Yamata Kenji. She rushed to get in, trying not to arouse any suspicions. When she reached the training grounds, the guards pushed her in and told her to go to the tent located all the way in the back. 'Kenji' saw Kenshin and quickly turned her head away.

"Are you a new recruit?" Kenshin asked sharply, seeing the new young man in front of him. When he looked up, he gasped. The resemblance between this man and Kaoru were…were…very close. The young boy nodded. "Then, hurry up and start training. New ones aren't supposed to have their own swords…." He raised an eyebrow.

"I already know how to fight." She quickly replied.

"Really…then perhaps you'd like to spar with me. I'll test your strength." He said.

"Uh…I'm sure I'm not as great as you….sir." she responded quickly, not wanting to face his Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu.

"Nonsense. Besides, you wouldn't know right? What if I'm just a captain in name yet, an unworthy fighter?"

'Oh you're worthy, all right…' she thought in her head.

"Here." He said, snapping her out of her daze and passing her a bokken. "I'll use a bokken as well." Many soldiers started gathering to watch. They all watched her with their peering eyes. "Start." Kenshin whispered. He disappeared from sight and suddenly appeared behind her. "Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu…" he mumbled, "Ryu So Sen!" Kaoru barely dodged it and fear struck her. She didn't want to get hurt and she knew when Kenshin's blows hit, they hurt like HELL. Kaoru lunged, not knowing what else to do. He dodged easily and struck her back.

Kaoru grimaced from the pain and got angry. She was about to scold him when she remembered she was a guy. So she got up and into a stance. She decided to try and copy one of his moves that she'd seen before. "Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu…Ryu Tsui Sen!" she muttered as she jumped up and came down with some force. Kenshin blocked and hit her again.

"Don't try to imitate my Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu. You'll fail and get hurt instead." He said. She looked up at him and he threw his bokken to the side. "We're done here. And from my inspection, you…" he snatched the sword from her belt, "aren't qualified to hold a sword. You might end up hurting yourself."

"Well, EXCUSE me." She said out of frustration and embarrassment. All the soldiers were laughing and went back to sparring with their partners. At her comment, they looked back. "I'm sorry if I don't suit your tastes with my fighting!"

"What?" he raised an eyebrow, obviously surprised at him for yelling at an officer.

"You heard me."

"Come into my tent." He ordered. All the soldiers started muttering to each other. "And all of you!" he shouted. "GET BACK TO TRAINING!" All the men started sparring again quickly to avoid any trouble for themselves.

He led the way to his tent and sat down on a stool. "Give me your name."

"Yamata Kenji," she stated boldly, not afraid of Kenshin.

"Sure…" he murmured.

"What?" she snapped back.

"Kaoru. Stop pretending. Take off that disguise NOW." He ordered.


	8. Departure

**Forbidden Love Chapter 8…I think…**

_"Kaoru. Stop pretending. Take off that disguise NOW." He ordered._

"I don't know this Kaoru you speak of." She said coldly.

Kenshin stood up. "Kaoru. I'm serious. STOP and go back to your room. I know its you." He hissed.

"I told you. I don't know who you're talking about." She responded.

"Don't fool around with me right now Kaoru. This is your last warning. If you don't take off that disguise, I will report you as an assassin and you will be killed for SURE." He said icily, eyes flickering amber.

Kaoru gasped. At that, she hesitated to respond.

"Now…take it off." Kenshin said, knowing he had won the argument. The threat had hit the spot.

Kaoru took off the wig. "Fine. You win." She looked away and heard him standing up.

"Kaoru…" he started, starting to regret how he'd reacted.

"Don't talk to me right now Kenshin. I'm not in the mood." Then, she realized that he'd called her by her name. She turned around to be crushed in an embrace.

"Kaoru…I'm sorry for the way I acted. I just was angry because…if I didn't notice, you'd be out on the battlefield. You could…die and I couldn't bear that." He hugged her even tighter. "Please…you can help me live during the war by not interfering and staying safe until I return. Please don't do this antic again. I really want you to be safe…Kaoru."

"Kenshin…" she whispered. She pushed away and looked at his eyes. They looked really hurt and his expression was…incredibly, horrifyingly sad. "I'm…sorry. I just…didn't want you to…die on the battlefield.

Kenshin couldn't take it anymore. He brought her into a kiss. She tasted his tongue and he, hers. When Kenshin finally broke the kiss, Kaoru frowned and their lips were bruised. They were both breathing hard from lack of breath and gazed at each other lustfully. Kenshin stopped himself from going any further.

"Kenshin? What's wrong?" she asked sadly.

"This…is forbidden. I am not supposed to touch you…at all. I'm sorry…princess, for taking away your first kiss. I'm…sorry!" he said as he rushed out of his tent. When Kaoru went to follow, he'd already disappeared. All the soldiers had gone back to the barracks to eat dinner and rest. Kaoru searched for Kenshin everywhere but couldn't find him. She went back to her room sadly when Misao had found her.

"Kaoru! Where's your wig!" she exclaimed.

"It's off. Kenshin already found out. She passed her without another word and when she finally reached her room, she fell onto the bed, crying. Little did she know that Kenshin was watching her intently from outside her window. He sighed and whispered, "I'm so sorry….Kaoru…" With that, he left.

A week passed quickly and Kaoru didn't see Kenshin at all. He had been avoiding her with all his strength.


	9. The Great Battle

**Forbidden Love Chapter 9**

DISCLAIMER: Rurouni Kenshin isn't mine. But my thoughts belong to me.

Sounds of blood spilling were heard not long after Kenshin and his army arrived. Assassins leapt from their hiding spots in the trees in their attempt to kill Kenshin and some of the important officers. Sanosuke took a spear from a frightened soldier and threw it with excellent accuracy. It hit the assassin in the face and he dropped dead.

"Men!" Kenshin shouted. "Don't lose your courage! We will defeat them, that's what you've been training for!" He finished while cutting a man in half, spilling blood all over his horse who started trotting nervously. Just then, one of the troops ran up and stabbed a man in the back. That led all the men into doing the same. The assassins fled quickly, losing their numbers just as fast. Saitou went next to Kenshin.

"We'd better get a move on. Yamagata-san cannot hold back Shishio's army by himself and his army alone."

"Right. Round up all the men and get them back into formation. We have to leave quickly." Kenshin ordered. Saitou started yelling commands and went back to his place as Kenshin started leading them again. Sano followed, keeping a cautious eye on the surroundings.

A huge man with an axe came forward and killed Kenshin's horse. Kenshin was able to jump off just a second before and quickly disposed of the man. "We need to move more quickly!" he shouted. The route they were going was full of enemies and the men were starting to lose face. Numbers were dropping increasingly as they were swept again and again by Shishio's forces. When they finally reached the battlefield, Yamagata's army was already there, trying to fend off the enemies who were much more skilled than them. Kenshin used his speed to kill ten men in a flash and the rest followed. Senkaku was disposing of some men with his strong knuckle blades. Just then, Shishio's army ran and out came…a flying man! He came right for Kenshin but he was ready.

"I am Henya of the sky! I will kill you!" he shouted as he threw down dynamite one by one. Kenshin jumped up and hit him with a Ryu Tsui Sen, bring him down. Then, another voice was heard. Kenshin turned to see a cross dresser and a man with a blindfold that said 'Mind's Eye.'

"This man is mine." Said the cross dresser, as he lunged toward Kenshin. Kenshin, reading his movements, leapt out of the way and disappeared, only to reappear seconds later and slashing multiple strikes. The cross dresser fell and started moaning in pain as he rolled in the dirt trying to make some of the pain subside. The blind man used his spear to attack Kenshin next. He had an object that looked like a turtle shell in his other hand to use as a shield. Saitou stepped up. "I'll take care of this so you should go help the soldiers. They are in dire need of help." With that, he used his Gatotsu against the blind man.

"All right then." Kenshin replied as he disappeared in the thin air. He reappeared at a troubled soldier's side and brought down the man. "FIGHT MEN!" he cried as he kept killing and killing, making it rain more and more blood. The men used all their might to defeat their opponents. Kenshin led the way and brought down all the men that were in his way. Then, he knew just which attack to use against all the enemies. "Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu!" he cried, preparing his sword. "Do Ryu Sen!" His sword made impact with the ground which sent somewhat of a fissure towards the men. Some flying rocks followed and the men in front were instantly brought down. Kenshin's army began to approach their enemies and after that startling attack, they killed the enemies easily.

"Kenshin!" Sano yelled, blocking someone's attack with his zanbatou. "We're almost to Shishio's lair!" Kenshin nodded and kept killing, creating a pathway through all the enemies. His army followed and made their formation quickly. The archers stood in the center of all the kneeling footmen in front while preparing their bows and crossbows. The archer commander yelled out, "FIRE!" and many enemies fell instantly, with an arrow piercing their chest or face. Shishio's number of men was decreasing rapidly and victory seemed near and to the side of Kenshin. Two hours later, the war was finally done and Kenshin, Sano, Saitou, and Aoshi went into the palace for Shishio's head. Saitou's legs were a bit wounded from the blind man, Usui's attacks. Aoshi's white coat was now blood red. Sano's zanbatou had blood streaks all over it and Kenshin's sword was dripping with blood while his hakama was torn and stained with blood. They were all a mess but the war wouldn't be over with Shishio still living so they went on in the confusing lair.

When they finally reached the room where Shishio sat in, they had dodged arrows, fled fire, and killed assassins, lowering their stamina and strength. "Shishio Makoto…I will get your head!" Kenshin yelled, pointing his sword at Shishio's head.

"You're welcome to try, you little redheaded runt." With that statement, the battle began as they exchanged blows. "Homura Dama!" Shishio yelled as the tip of his sword lit on fire and slashed across Kenshin's chest, creating a mark.

"Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu! Ryu Tsui Sen!" Kenshin cried. His blow landed on Shishio's right shoulder, which was his sword arm.

"Weak! The strong live and the weak die! So let me feast on your flesh!" Shishio yelled, charging with another Homura Dama. Sano, Saitou and Aoshi had cornered the woman who was with him.

"You must be a whore." Sano stated bluntly.

"Excuse me! You stupid Tori Atama!" she said angrily. Saitou raised his sword and charged with the Gatotsu. A shriek was heard before the sword met its target, spilling blood everywhere. It landed on Sano's armor, Aoshi's coat, and Saitou's sword and armor. They stood silently in one corner, watching the battle with Shishio and Kenshin. They were both getting battered hard and were panting for breath. Shishio's blood started evaporating, causing him to take twice the toll.

"My ougi. Kagezuchi!" he cried, lighting his whole blade on fire.

"Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu! Amakakeru Ryu no Hirameki!" Kenshin shouted. Shishio's attack had given Kenshin a slight injury while Kenshin's attack had killed Shishio. Kenshin fainted and Sano rushed to catch him. He and Aoshi dumped him into a carriage they found.

"Sano. Hurry up and guide that horse to the palace. We cannot lose our commander." Saitou ordered. Sano nodded and got on the horse. He used the whip and the horse quickly sped off towards the palace. Saitou started rounding up all their troops with the help of Aoshi.

'Kenshin…you better not die…' Sano thought as he steered the horse onto a shortcut path.


	10. Until he wakes

**Forbidden Love Chapter 10**

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin and I never will. However….I am the Rurouni Kenshin Freak 8o8. If you don't know what 8o8 means…um….look it up? P**_

Sano finally reached the palace with an unconscious Kenshin. He summoned some guards and they rushed to carry Kenshin to the doctor's room. On the way, Sano saw Kaoru walking towards them. When she saw the red hair, she gasped and recognized it instantly. It was Kenshin!

"Sano! What happened!" she asked, shaking his jacket. Sano made her let go and rushed alongside the guards.

"Hurry up!" he ordered as he ran with all his might. 'Why was the stupid doctor's office so far away?' he thought, annoyed and irritated. When they finally reached it, he opened the door and she was startled. Then, she saw the stretcher and sprung into action.

"Hot water! Clean, fresh towels! Bedding! COMFORTABLE bedding!" she ordered them all. The two guards split and went to get the hot water from the kitchens and the towels from the supply room. Sano quickly got some clean, fresh sheets and threw it over the doctor's bed. She lay him down and reached into her cabinet to get some medicine for the wounds and some bandages. Sano looked up and saw Kaoru watching, horrified at what she saw. Sano rushed to the door and led her away.

"Not now, princess. Later. Later, I'll explain everything. I promise." He said. She nodded and went to her room, stumbling on a few lumps on the carpet. He rushed back and saw that Kenshin's arm was being bandaged after getting cleaned by the hot water.

Five hours later, the army had arrived and they were all dreadfully tired from a whole day of fighting. There were whispers in the crowed about their fallen commander as they went toward their barracks. Saitou told them to go home and spend the rest of the week with their families. They all cheered and rushed to get clean and many sped out the gate to meet their wives and children at their homes. Saitou and Aoshi went to the doctor's room to find Kenshin laying there, all bandaged up. Sano was snoring quietly on the chair next to the bed and the doctor was checking and sorting some papers out.

"Thank you for taking care of our commander." Saitou said to the doctor. "I'm afraid I don't know you."

"Megumi. Takani, Megumi is my name. My teacher, who was the former doctor, passed away and I was put in charge since then. This all happened only three days ago." She explained as Sano woke up, startled to see Saitou and Aoshi.

"You're back already?" he asked.

"Obviously." Aoshi answered quietly.

Sano glared at him and looked at Kenshin. Then, he remembered about Kaoru. He stood up and rushed out. "Got business to do." He told Saitou right before he sped down the hall, trying to find the princess's room.

Misao was walking by when a large man with spiky hair bumped into her. "Oww!" she cried while rubbing her side. Then, she saw who it was. "Sano…what do you want? And—," she was cut off by Sano.

"Where's the princes— oh forget it…where's Kaoru's room?" he asked quickly. "It's urgent. VERY urgent." He said. She nodded and led the way down the halls, and downstairs until they were on the third floor. "She's in that room." Misao said, pointing at a door. Sano ran to it and opened it. He saw Kaoru sitting down on her bed, thinking. She hadn't noticed his entrance.

When she finally snapped out of it, she looked up at Sano and ran up to him. "What's wrong with Kenshin? Will he be okay? What happened? Why's he like that? He won't die right?" He looked at her and stopped her from bombarding him with so many questions.

"If you sit down, then I'll tell you the whole story. And no interruptions." He added. He started his story…

"So…he just fainted…just like that?" she asked, confirming her thought.

"Yeah. He was really exhausted. From fighting the army and then, getting major wounds from Shishio." Sano replied. He looked at Kaoru for any emotions but none were visible. "I think he'll be okay. He has to be." he added.

Again, no emotion and no expression. She then stood up quickly and started running toward the doctor's room.

"H-hey! Kaoru!" he yelled, running after her. Who knew a princess was this quick? She sped up the stairs and when she finally reached the room, she stepped in, gasping for breath. Sano soon followed and grabbed her. "Don't go in there, Kaoru!"

"I want to!" she grunted as she elbowed Sano in his stomach. He fell to the ground in pain. She went to Kenshin's side and sat on the chair that Sano had been sitting down before. She looked at the doctor and asked for his conditions.

She felt taken aback, but knowing who she was, she answered quickly. "He is greatly hurt and wounded. Slashed and burned at the same time…that's actually pretty good because the wound closes up right after the slash. However, from many attacks…and continuous battling, it has taken a great toll on his body. He might be in that bed for a LONG time. I'd say…maybe a month." Kaoru took all of this in, listening to every word.

"I'm going to stay here until he wakes up. Okay?" she asked.

"Yes ma'am." Megumi replied.

"Tell them…don't bother with any food. I won't eat until he wakes up. I will….just bathe…." She said. Megumi nodded and continued with her work, thinking silently in her head, about the connection between the great knight and the princess.


End file.
